UFC Announces Chuck Liddell's Employment as VP of Business Development
by Kaleb Kelchner on Dec 29, 2010 4:45 PM EST
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"I'm looking forward moving on to this stage of my career, now that I'm retired." - Chuck Liddell
At the pre-fight press conference for UFC 125, Dana White announced that Chuck Liddell would be joining the company, no longer as a fighter, but as a businessman. It had been rumored that the announcement would be anything from the next coaches of the ultimate fighter, to the UFC making Ion Television the "UFC Channel", not many were expecting a Chuck Liddell announcement, let alone that he'd be getting a new job as VP of Business Development.
Dana White had previously mentioned possibly getting Chuck a job if it meant keeping him from getting hurt in the cage anymore, and it appears that an agreement was reached, with all parties pleased. It's been a great career Chuck, thank you for the hard work you gave the sport in the cage, and the work you'll now do outside of it.
Photo via Jeff Sherwood, of Sherdog
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(cough) Yeah I know right!
Okay, honestly, I thought that’s what Dana said at first as well, but stuck around long enough to realize that it couldn’t have been what Dana meant. Not sure what Dana said or how he said it that confused me, but that’s what I thought he said before he called over Lorenzo. Then Lorenzo didn’t really say much in regards to him being done…then Chuck came out and I put two and two together.
Sucks for the Sun though, way to get called out in the middle of the press conference. haha
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by Kaleb Kelchner on Dec 29, 2010 5:04 PM EST up reply actions
I'll admit I did a double take at first
But then I was writing something up with the press conference in the background. Of course it didn’t take me a minute to workout what was actually going on in terms of Chuck Liddell retiring.
I hope this is mainly a figurehead/public relations role. Chuck’s no dummy, he’s got a degree in business/accounting and has been with the company as a fighter for almost 13 years, but I don’t think that’s enough to qualify someone to be made straight off the bat an Executive Vice President of Business Development. I hope the cost of keeping him out of the ring isn’t putting him in an executive position that he’ll be out of his depth with.
I figured before this announcement he'd be in a UFC ambassador role
And I still think this is what it amounts to, just a fancy title for whatever reason (make him appear on equal footing with the main guys and not a subordinate employee).
I doubt he’ll have to do hardly anything the big title implies…the world knows what Chuck is there to do. He’s not a businessman, but he’s a legend, they’ll send him in for fan expos, speak on behalf of the sport for legalization, do fluffy stuff.
I’m sure they’ll find some interesting ways to utilize him, but this is just a glorified retirement plan.
Twitter me @kkelchner621
Read me at WatchKalibRun
by Kaleb Kelchner on Dec 29, 2010 8:23 PM EST up reply actions
And I can't really argue against a glorified retirement plan
If only the rest of the fighters in his era were half as lucky. Some key piece of advice to fighters out there: don’t burn your bridges with the UFC and Dana White, loyalty might be the best commodity to invest in for your future.
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